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The large salaries and bonuses drawn down by 2015 Pan Am Games executives were necessary to win the major sporting event, Premier Kathleen Wynne says.

Games CEO Ian Troop pulls a $390,000 base salary but could see that figure topped by a $780,000 bonus if he completes his term and meets budget and timeline targets.

“The compensation structure that was put in place was put in place as a way of being competitive with all of the other cities and jurisdictions that were competing for the Games,” Wynne said Monday. “I think what is terrific is that you’ve got now an organization that’s delivering on time and on budget the capital projects.”

Progressive Conservative MPP Rod Jackson said a 200% bonus — half for just showing up — is exorbitant and out of line with private sector practices.

“They can literally sleepwalk through their jobs, get to their end date and get at least a 100% bonus. That is ridiculous,” Jackson said.

With so many expenses off the official $1.4-billion budget — such as the Athlete’s Village and Pan Am trail — it will be difficult to tell if the games came in at projected cost, he said.

Wynne said she’s pleased with the progress of the games which will act as a huge boost for athletes and for tourism.

The premier said expenses billed by Pan Am execs, everything from a 0.91 cent parking chit to lavish hospitality dinners as revealed by the Toronto Sun, needed correction.

“We will continue to monitor and tighten up the expenses but I think we need to recognize that the compensation packages that were put in place, we may think that it’s out of whack in terms of comparing it with other endeavours, but the reality is that we were competing for multi-sport games with other jurisdictions around the Americas,” she said.

“And that’s the structure that we put in place in order to be able to compete and draw the games here.”